Candy Corn Butterfingers

I have developed a bit of an addiction to Pinterest as of late. One of the first things I "pinned" was this photo linking a recipe for homemade Butterfingers.

Photo Source: http://www.thesaltypineapple.com/2011/08/i-love-food.html

When I realized the recipe consisted of only three ingredients, I had to try it!  You'll notice that I don't have a photo of the bars I made. Mine weren't quite as pretty as these. They weren't so much bars as they were nuggets, chunks and pieces. This was probably due to the fact that I did not let them set up as directed. Being impatient, I simply shoved the dish into the freezer and busted 'em up when they were cool. Despite their unpretty looks, they tasted fantastic! And yes, they taste like actual Butterfingers, but the texture isn't as flaky or crunchy. They were good, Y'all!  These are going onto my Christmas candy rotation!

Candy Corn Butterfingers

1 lb. candy corn
16oz jar peanut butter 
16oz pkg. chocolate candy coating

Melt candy corn in microwave on high 1 minute. Stir and continue cooking in 15-second intervals until melted, stirring after each interval. Stir in peanut butter. Spread mixture in a buttered dish(I used cooking spray). Cool completely. Cut into squares. Dip in melted chocolate candy coating. Lay on waxed paper to set.

Best Oven Fried Chicken (no, really!)

Fried Chicken. Sigh. I direct you to my first(and only) slightly sad attempt at frying chicken. I almost got it right, and probably could have eventually gotten a handle on it if I'd kept at it, but I gave up.  I know.  I should be ashamed. I'm Southern after all, and from Kentucky...the Fried Chicken Capitol of the World! But me and fried chicken, we just don't jive. 

So here I am, four and half years after starting what I thought would be a cooking blog and I still can't fry up a chicken and I'm still not much of a cook either. This may explain why my cooking blog has morphed into a random craft/sewing/apron/quilting/ blog where I occasionally share a recipe. 

Which leads me back to the chicken...

I found a recipe for oven "fried" chicken that was a snap to make and tasted great! This recipe comes from the book Eat What You Love by Marlene Koch.

Best Oven Fried Chicken

What you'll need

• 2 large egg whites
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon ground sage
• 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 1/4 cups corn flakes
• 1/4 cup plain breadcrumbs
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 lbs skinless chicken

***My changes due to lack of ingrediets: 1/2 cup egg beaters subbed for egg whites; paprika subbed for cayenne; Italian seasoning subbed for sage & thyme; I used precut chicken breast tenders.

What You'll Do

1. Preheat oven to 400. Place a wire rack on top of a baking sheet and spray with cooking spray.
2. In a shallow bowl, whisk together egg whites with  garlic powder, onion powder, caynne pepper, sage and thyme.
3. Place the cereal in a plastic bag and crush thoroughly with a rolling pin. Place in a shallow bowl and mix with  breadcrumbs, pepper, and salt.
4. Place flour in a third shallow bowl.
5. To bread the chicken pieces, first dredge the chicken in th flour to coat. Next, dip each piece of chicken into the egg white mixture, followed by the crumb mixture, making sure to cover all surfaces. repeat until all the chicken is coated.
6. Place the chicken pieces on the prepared rack and bake for 45 minutes, or until the chicken is  golden brown and reaches 180 degrees.

I'll admit to being a bit skeptical of any recipe titled "BEST" anything, but this was good stuff, y'all!  The chicken was juicy inside and crispy outside--just the way I like it! It was truly the best oven fried chicken I've tried....and I'd bet that cooking it on the wire racks is what made the difference. Give it a try and tell me what you think!  And I'd recommend you pick up a copy of this cookbook, especially if you're a cooking novice like I am. It has lots of familiar recipes(without exotic, hard to find ingrediets), made healthier.

Alert the Media! I cooked and ENJOYED a vegan dish!

This afternoon I did something I rarely do, and cooked a vegan dish for my husband. I know, I'm a bad wife, blah, blah blah. As I've mentioned, he is a die hard vegan and I am sooo not. Although I did try it once, and I lasted about a week!

I recently picked up a copy of Eat What You Love and this recipe looked interesting, so I thought I'd give it a try. Despite the fact that I used soy crumbles in place of ground beef, this dish was fantastic and very flavorful! I really liked it and my husband devoured two huge helpings in no time flat.

Of course I never have the exact ingredients a recipe calls for, so I made a few substitutions. My version is what's listed below.

And yeah, I know that's a canned crescent on the plate. I was so wrapped up in the noodle dish, bread was an afterthought and sides weren't even a thought. A fresh salad and crusty homemade bread would have been great with this!  Although I do loves me some Pillsbury Crescent Rolls...I'm not gonna lie.

Why is food so hard to photograph? 

Nutty (not really)Beefy Noodles

Here's What You Need:
8 oz whole wheat spaghetti
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 yellow bell pepper, chopped
1 carrot, peeled and shredded

1/4 c. peanut butter
2 Tbs soy sauce
2 Tbs white wine vinegar
2 Tbs ketchup
1 Tbs brown sugar
1/4-1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
1 c. warm water
3/4 tsp. cornstartch

12 oz pack of Yves Meatless Ground (or 1lb. lean ground beef)
2 Tbs. minced garlic
2-4 green onions, chopped

Here's What You Do:
1.  Cook pasta, drain and return to pot. Add peppers and carrots, cover.

2. Whisk together peanut butter, soy sauce, vinegar, ketchup, brown sugar,ginger, and red pepper flakes until smooth. Wish in warm water and cornstarch.

3. Heat soy crumbles and garlic in a (very) large saute pan. About 5 min.

4. Pour sauce into pan with the soy crumbles and let simmer until sauce thickens. Stir in pasta & veggies and cook 5-7min. until the veggies are crisp tender. Top w/green onions.

 For the unmodified by yours truly version of this recipe, check out the book.  There is a recipe for a 175 calorie vanilla cake batter milkshake that is worth the price of admission all on it's own!

She Cooks! OK, it was just Campbell's Macaroni and Cheese, but She Cooks!

I  don't know when I last posted a recipe. In fact I had been thinking of changing the name of this blog to something along the lines of And She Can't Even Step Foot Into The Kitchen! due to my lack of cooking related posts. After all, this blog started out as my adventures learning to cook.  OK, so I still can't cook, not really, but since I decided to stop hating my body, I've also decided it's time to fill it with real food...things other than cereal, cookies and fast food.

Now, y'all try not to scoff too much at my choice of recipe here, but I made Mac & Cheese, from a can of soup. I know, I know, it's not exactly health food. But you know what, it's not cereal, it's not cookies, and it's not fast food...so it's OK! And besides, I did use whole wheat blend pasta and 1%milk.  Anyway it's not like I'm not gonna eat the entire casserole dish full in one sitting! Maybe. I figure if I take the time to cook it, it has actual ingredients like milk, cheese, and pasta, it's not that bad.

So here's the recipe:

I clearly used waaay more breadcrumb mixture than the recipe called for.

Ingredients

• 1 (10.75 ounce) can Campbell's Condensed Cheddar Cheese Soup
• 1/2 (10.75 ounce) can milk
• 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 2 cups hot cooked corkscrew-shaped pasta or shell-shaped pasta
• 1 tablespoon dry bread crumbs
• 2 teaspoons butter or margarine

Directions

1. Mix soup, milk, black pepper and pasta in 1-qt. baking dish.
2. Mix bread crumbs and butter and sprinkle over pasta mixture.
3. Bake at 400 degrees F. for 20 min. or until hot.

I liked it. Nice and creamy--good texture. The flavor was a bit bland, however. Maybe adding some additional sharp cheddar cheese or some garlic powder or some other seasoning would liven it up. Still, it's pretty good, not to mention super-duper quick and easy to throw together.

Kellie Cooks(and eats) A Vegan Dish...And Lives to Tell About It!

My husband is a vegan. I am sooo not a vegan. He is thin, I am chubby fat extra-large not thin. I'm certain I could point out more health related differences between us and chalk it up to his vegan-ism, but I'll stop at the thin/not thin thing. Since that's where I always end up...Weight. Sigh.

I tried to do the no meat/no dairy for a while not too long ago. It didn't last long...almost made it three weeks. Surprisingly, I didn't miss the meat that much, but those of you who know me know that I'm not a big fan of veggies(or beans) and I will go out of my way to avoid eating them. Instead of replacing meat and dairy with vegetables, I was replacing it with Cheetos and Little Debbie cakes. So I stopped that little experiment before the weight gain got out of hand. Yeah, I know. Pathetic.

Despite my failure as a vegan, I have begun to become more interested in trying to eat healthier {{{hides M&M's wrapper and half empty glass of Coke}}} and think it's about time I started cooking(if only occasionally) for my husband of 23 years. I'm going to try a bit harder to prepare food that Mark will eat not only because it fits his vegan diet, but because it tastes good. And hopefully I can tolerate it...change is hard, people! My mother keeps telling my taste will change. Um, Mom, I'm still waiting for cauliflower and cabbage to taste like Cheetos and Little Debbie cakes.

My Grandma Doris got us this cookbook for Christmas two years ago and yesterday I blew the dust off, and cracked it open. How sad that it took me two years to use it! There are some recipes that Mark wouldn't touch due to the dairy/egg ingredients, but I have come across several that either omit those things or could be easily altered.I made a dish called Southwestern Fettuccine Bowl. It turned out to be a great recipe! Mark absolutely loved it and I will admit that I liked it too, despite my preconceived notion to the contrary. A quick and easy dish, loaded with good stuff...I'm sure it would be just as good with a whole wheat pasta of some sort substituted for the fettuccine noodles if you wanted to make it even healthier.

Southwestern Fettuccine Bowl

What You'll Need:
8 oz uncooked fettuccine
Olive oil-flavored cooking spray
1 cup chunky salsa
1/3 cup frozen corn
1/4 cup water
2 tablespoons chili sauce
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 can black beans, drained, rinsed
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

What You'll Do:
1. Cook and drain fettuccine as directed on package. Spray fettuccine 2 or 3 times with cooking spray, tossing after each spray. Remove from saucepan; cover to keep warm.

2. In same saucepan, mix remaining ingredients except cilantro. Cook over medium heat 4 to 6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until corn is tender.

3. Divide fettuccine among 4 bowls. Top each with about 3/4 cup sauce mixture. Sprinkle with cilantro.

Photo brought to you by Betty Crocker. We ate ours much too quickly to get a photo!

Dear Broccoli, I'm sorry for all the mean things I've said about you.

I admit it, I am a broccoli hater. Truth be told, there aren't many vegetables that I do like. Corn, potatoes and the occasional raw carrot, that about does it.

However, a couple Christmases ago, while at my grandmother's house, I tried a tiny helping of her broccoli salad. This was following my trip to Europe where I tried several weird foods. I didn't die from any of that stuff, so I figured a little broccoli at my grandma's house wouldn't kill me either.

To my surprise, I actually liked her broccoli salad, which also included broccoli's ugly cousin, cauliflower.

So lately I've decided that I have GOT to start eating healthier. I'm about 50 pounds heaver than I need to be and as much as it irks me to say, at 41, I'm not getting any younger. Yeah, yeah, I know you think a 41 year old shouldn't be such a wiener about eating her veggies. But I am.

Anyhow, I am trying to cut way back on the amount of meat and dairy that I eat on a weekly basis. I'm not going full on vegan mind you, just cutting back. However, in order for me to eat healthy, I have to learn to tolerate--if not like--veggies. I remembered trying this salad and asking my grandma for the recipe. I figured if I could get used to eating broccoli & cauliflower prepared like this, that perhaps it wouldn't be so bad in the next dish.

And tonight, I actually enjoyed eating a bowl full of broccoli and cauliflower! Alright, so the fact that the dressing includes mayo(fat free, thankyouverymuch) and sugar helps. Baby steps, people, baby steps!

Here's the recipe!

SUNNY VEGETABLE SALAD

What you need:

• 5 cups broccoli florets
• 5 cups cauliflowerets
• 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
• 2/3 cup chopped red onion
• 1/2 cup golden raisins
• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 6 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled
• 1/4 cup sunflower kernels

What you do:

1. In a large salad bowl, toss broccoli, cauliflower, cheese, onion and raisins. In a small bowl, combine mayonnaise, sugar and vinegar. Pour over salad; toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour. Sprinkle with the bacon and sunflower seeds when ready to serve.

Caramel Snack Mix

I make this Caramel Snack Mix often--especially when Holiday time rolls around. It never fails to please. I wanted to share it since it's the perfect time of year for all things sweet and snack-y and because Patty asked about it! So, from my cookbook, here's the Caramel Snack Mix recipe, which is really just a different (and sweet) spin on Chex Mix

Caramel Snack Mix

1/2 cup butter
3/4 cup white corn syrup
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup chopped pecans
1 cup almonds
1 (12 ounce) package crispy corn and rice cereal

Preheat oven to 275 degrees F (135 degrees C). Spray a large roasting
pan with non-stick cooking spray.

In a medium-size microwave safe bowl, mix butter, white corn syrup
and brown sugar. Place the mixture in the microwave and cook 2
minutes, or until butter melts.

Place the cereal, pecans and almonds into the prepared roasting pan.
Pour the melted butter mixture over the cereal and nuts and mix gently
until the cereal and nuts are coated.

Bake for 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes.

As the snack mix is cooling, be sure to continue to stir so that the mix
will not harden in one big lump.

Notes: I change up the kind of nuts I use and I usually use a little more than just one cup each...I like it w/peanuts, cashews & pecans. You can add another couple cups of cereal to keep it from ending up quite as sticky. It's also good with some microwave popcorn added to the mix.

It travels well too...My BIL Scott after opening a bag I mailed to him and Jackie in Poland one Christmas.

Italian Beef Sandwiches

Helloooooo....hellooooo....helloooo

I fear there may in fact be an echo since it's been such a long time since I have done any blogging. Between the dog, work, and time wasted on facebook I haven't been much of a blogger and I'm sorry to say I haven't been reading many blogs either. I also haven't been crafting, reading or doing anything productive much, but I plan to get back to it...I miss it.

In an attempt at getting this blog back on track I am going to post my latest cooking victory. After all, this started as a recipe blog once upon a time.

When I was in Chicago visiting with my sister and attending U2's 360 World Tour a while back I had my first taste of an Italian Beef sandwich. Now this was ballpark Italian beef from a cart, so probably not the best to be had in the city, but it was delicious! I knew I had to attempt to recreate it when I made it home.

And I did.

And it was FANTASTIC!


Here's a recipe that I found on allrecipes.com

Ingredients

• 2 cups water
  
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1 teaspoon onion salt
• 1 teaspoon dried parsley
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 (.7 ounce) package dry Italian-style salad dressing mix
• 1 (5 pound) rump roast

Directions

1. Combine water with salt, ground black pepper, oregano, basil, onion salt, parsley, garlic powder, bay leaf, and salad dressing mix in a saucepan. Stir well, and bring to a boil.
2. Place roast in slow cooker, and pour salad dressing mixture over the meat.
3. Cover, and cook on Low for 10 to 12 hours, or on High for 4 to 5 hours. When done, remove bay leaf, and shred meat with a fork.

I actually made this twice, and the second time was better...here's what I did on the 2nd round:

• 2 cans beef broth instead of water
• 2 packages of the Itialian dressing mix
• added a little less than a quarter juice from a jar of pepperoncini
• cut up a few of the pepperoncinis and added those as well.
• Used an eye of round instead of a rump roast
• Cooked it overnight on low

When I got ready to serve it, I buttered and toasted some Italian rolls, piled on the beef, topped w/a slice of provolone and broiled it till the cheese melted. Then we used some of the left over juice for dipping. Man! Good stuff!

Mini Hawaiian Roll Sandwiches

Need something quick and easy to take to a family/church gathering? You must try these mini sandwiches...they are deeeeelicious!

Assemble sandwiches:
24 Hawaiian Rolls
1 lb of ham, thinly sliced
3/4-1 lb swiss cheese (I bought 1 lb and had some leftover)

To assemble sandwiches faster, slice the entire package of rolls at once to make the top and bottom layer and simply cut them when they come out of the oven. Add ham and cheese.

Mix together
1/2 cup melted butter
1 TBS dry mustard
1-2 TBS onion flakes, depending on your taste
1-2 TBS poppy seeds, depending
3/4 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

Drizzle a little of the mixture over the ham and cheese layer before placing top layer of roll. Drizzle remaining mixture over the rolls. Bake at 350 until cheese is melted. Best when warm, but not bad cold either!

Granola Anyone?

I don't know why, but I was compelled to make granola over the weekend. I got this urge and HAD to make it. I'm not even a big granola/trail mix kinda person, although I am married to the crunchy-granola type. I didn't do a lot of searching for recipes. I simply googled "granola recipe", found Alton Brown's version and made a batch.

Mark loves it and I'll tell ya, for a person who's not a big granola eater, I am enjoying this stuff...maybe too much! I wish it were more clumpy though, anyone know the secret to making clumpy granola?

I did not need to know about this...

Did you know you can make donuts from canned biscuits? I did not. I wish I still did not. They are dangerous. Very dangerous.

Take these...
Then do this(I used the top of a water bottle to make the holes)...
Fry 'em in some hot oil...

and you get this...I doused them in powdered sugar, but I imagine you could frost or glaze them too. One thing...don't expect them to taste like Krispy Kremes. More like a Funnel Cake...especially when doused in powdered sugar and still warm.

I had to throw them away. NOT because they weren't yummy, cause they were!

Imagine me, standing at the counter, mouth full, powdered sugar falling from my lips and all over the front of my shirt yelling, "MMM! Mmmm! MMMaan!..deesh are shooow goooooo!"

Yeah. It was scary. I would've eaten all of them in 30 15min. and made myself sick had I not thrown the rest away after those first 2...ok, two and a half. I really need to learn some self control.

Next time I make these there will be someone nearby to share with me...I'd be a shame for another batch of biscuit-dounuts to suffer the same fate.

Cowboy Caviar

...also alled Texas Caviar, also called Poor Man's Caviar. This is my version of the recipe...we've just been calling it bean dip around here. Call it what you wish, this stuff is good!



Here's what you need:
1 can black-eyed peas, drained
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can whole kernel corn, drained
1/2 cup chopped red onion
1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper
2 cans Rotel( I use one mild, one chili-lime)
1/2 to 3/4 cup Italian-style salad dressing
1/2 to 1 tbs minced garlic
juice from 1/2 lime or lime juice to taste
chili powder, salt, pepper to taste



Here's what you do:
Mix it all together in a big bowl and let it sit overnight for the flavors to combine. We like it best w/Tostitos Jalapeño Scoops or homemade tortilla chips.

For the homemade chips, just slice a few corn tortillas into your preferred chip shape, sprinkle w/chili powder and salt or Lawry's. I usually spray my cookie sheet w/olive oil spray and bake @ 400 for 10min. or so, untill crunchy.

I've made it twice now and I think the lime juice makes all the difference...second batch didn't have any and it wasn't quite as good. I also think it's better when at room temp rather than right out of the fridge.

There's lots of room to play w/this recipe, fresh tomatoes & chilis vs. the Rotel, addition of red, yellow peppers, more Italian dressing, etc. Would love to hear how it turns out if you try it!

Enjoy!

Cookies in a Jiffy

I thought I'd share this oh-so-easy cookie recipe. It's from Taste of Home Best Loved Cookies and Bars available through Books are Fun. The company rep sets up his display in the library at school every couple of months and I usually get a cookbook out of the deal. It's a good deal!

Cookies in a Jiffy
Ingredients:
* 1 package (9 ounces) yellow cake mix
* 2/3 cup quick-cooking oats
* 1/2 cup butter, melted
* 1 egg
* 1/2 cup red and green Holiday milk chocolate M&M's or butterscotch chips

Directions:
In a large bowl, beat the first four ingredients until well blended. Stir in the M&M's or chips.
Drop by tablespoonfuls 2 in. apart onto ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 375° for 10-12 minutes or until lightly browned. Immediately remove to wire racks to cool. Yield: 2 dozen.

I didn't have butterscotch chips or M&M's, so I used chocolate chips. I think butterscotch chips would have been much much much better in these.

If you like yellow cake, you'll probably really like these cookies since they have a definite yellow cake taste. I'd recommend flattening them out some once you get the dough on your cookie sheet...the thinner, crunchy ones are tastier in my opinion.

A good little cookie.

I've Been Cooking...Well, Sorta...

I made these Cinnamon Apples w/a recipe from the Apple Barn. They were WAAAAY sweet(don't say I didn't warn you) but tasty nonetheless!Cinnamon Apples
Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients
6 small apples
1/4 cup red cinnamon candies
2 cups sugar
2 cups water

Instructions
Wash apples, pare and core. Combine sugar, water and cinnamon candies. Boil 5 minutes. Add apples and cook slowly until tender. Cinnamon extract and red food coloring may be substituted for red candies. If desired, apples may be cut in halves or quartered. And yeah, I added some red food coloring for fun!

Next up...

OK, this doesn't really qualify as cooking but if you want to jazz up store bought lemon poppy seed muffin mix, add lemon juice to a cup of powdered sugar until it is liquid enough to be drizzled from a spoon. Drizzle over cooled muffins. YUM!

The Loveless Cafe OR Mmmmmm.

Last week at this time I was with my folks in Nasvhille. Dad had surgery, everything went well and while he's recovering slowly, we expect him to be up and at 'em again soon.

While in Nashville(pre surgery of course) we made a stop at my favorite restaurant, The Loveless Cafe. I love the atmosphere at the Loveless. Relaxed, simple, homey...from the minute you pull up. It even looks like granny's house.Go ahead, sit a spell before or after your meal. They don't mind, really.The inside is as inviting as the outside. Of course I adore how they've used aprons and tablecloths on the windows.And there's a porch for those days when you feel like taking it outside.Surrounding the cafe in what used to be the motel are several artsy-fartsy shops and a Trace bike shop. They were closed that day, but I got a big kick out of these...whatever they are. I assume smaller versions are sold in one of the shops. What are Jack and Sally doing in Nashville? At the Loveless? Neither of them look like Ham and Biscuit kinda folk to me.I think I've posted about my affection for the food at the Loveless before, so, I'll try not to go on endlessly about how down-home-just-like-your-sweet-southern-mamaw-used to-make-good the food is.Hot biscuits and homemade jam come just as soon as you sit down. Speaking of biscuits...we walked in and Carol Fay, the famous Loveless Cafe Biscuit Lady was standing behind the register. Of course I didn't realize it was Carol Fay, the famous Biscuit Lady until about two minutes later. And then came the delayed reaction. "Hey, was that Carol Fay, the famous biscuit lady? I think it was. It WAS! Shoot! I should have said hello...I should of asked for a photo with her!" Of course then I didn't want to look like a complete dork getting all googly-eyed over the biscuit lady, so I did nothing. Shoot! It was not unlike the time Shea and I walked right past Sting's son, lead singer of Fiction Plane, on the streets of St. Louis. Yes, THAT Sting. I'll warn you. The serving sizes at the Loveless are meant for two people. Even the sandwich was huge. Plenty left over for lunch later in the week.

For me it was barbeque, mac & cheese and hashbrown casserole. Hiding under that mound of bbq are hoe cakes. If you've never eaten a hoe cake, my best description would be this...imagine the flavor of cornbread fried up into the consistency of a pancake. YUM! For Mom, collard greens(which I would not touch w/a ten foot pole) white beans, caramel sweet potatoes and grilled pork chops in an onion gravy.Just a BBQ sandwich and a salad for Dad.
After our meal, Mom and I made a quick stop at Hams & Jams where a girl can get her fix of Loveless goodies to take home. Here's what I picked up...Mark LOVES the homemade granola and I will be making a batch of biscuits using this mix very soon!

You can pick up your own biscuit mix, hams, jams, cookbooks and other Loveless goodies like this super cute handmade in Nashville apron(why didn't I buy one?) at Hams & Jams online. The online shop is great, but if you're close enough, next time you're in Nasvhille, should make the trip to The Loveless Cafe. I think you'll be glad you did.

Lemony Lemon Cake

I was salivating just listening to my friend Rhonda talk about this yummy lemon cake last week. Imagine my bliss when she brought me a piece the next day! It was deeelicious! I can't wait to try one myself.

Lemony Lemon Cake

1 pkg. lemon cake mix

1 pkg. lemon instant pudding mix

4 eggs

¼ cup oil

1 cup water

1 (6oz.) can frozen lemonade, thawed

11/2 cup of confectioners sugar

Combine cake mix, pudding mix, and eggs in bowl; mix well. Add oil and water; beat until well blended. Pour into greased 9 X 13 inch cake pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 to 50 minutes or until cake tests done. Cool for 5 minutes. Combine lemonade and confectioners sugar in bowl; beat until smooth. Pierce holes in cake with fork. Pour glaze over cake.

Paradise by the Oven Light...OR...Meatloaf

Are ya'll sitting down? You should be, cause what I'm about to tell you might cause you to fall over if you're not. I cooked! That's right! I actually 1. gathered ingredients 2. mushed said ingredients together and 3. prepared a meatloaf. And it was edible! Tasty even!

Now this was not my first attempt at meatloaf. My first attempt at meatloaf can be found here and it is my favorite meatloaf recipe(it uses Italian sausage), but this one comes in a close second. I wanted to try something without the sausage as it creates a lot of extra fat and I've been feeling a little Jabbaesque lately.

This recipe was easy, easy, easy. So easy, in fact, that even I couldn't screw it up...and I threw in some extras as I went along. I found the recipe on allrecipes, and like my other ML recipe, people who said they didn't like meatloaf raved about it, so I knew it was the one to try.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 egg
• 3/4 cup milk
• 1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
• 1/2 cup quick cooking oats
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 pound ground beef

Glaze

• 2/3 cup ketchup
• 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons prepared mustard

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. In a large bowl, combine the egg, milk, cheese, oats and salt. Add the ground beef, mixing well, and form this mixture into eight miniature meatloaves. Place these in a lightly greased 9x13 inch baking dish.
3. In a separate small bowl, combine the ketchup, brown sugar and mustard. Stir thoroughly and spread over each meatloaf.
4. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 45 minutes.

My additons: some seasoned bread crumbs, a couple shakes of parmesean cheese, onion, Lawry's & a little pepper. For the glaze I omitted the mustard and used Corky's Smokin' Hot BBQ sauce instead.

Again, I was really happy with this one and I have five more little meatloaves in the freezer for when the mood for comfort food strikes!

I couldn't take a pretty picture of this dish...I'm afraid my meatloaf was just not very attractive.

But then neither is this Meatloaf.

Diet Coke Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Cream Cheese Icing & Luscious Slushy Punch

Oh, these are good. They are your standard box up chocolate Duncan Hines Dark Chocolate Fudge cake mix made into cupcakes. Instead of eggs and oil and whatever else the mix requires, I pour in a can of diet coke. Why? Mark is a vegan and won't eat ANYTHING that has dairy/eggs/etc. in it. And I was out of eggs ;) The cupcakes are actually low fat BUT then I added the Cream Cheese Peanut Butter Icing! And as you might expect, that completely blows the benefit of lowfat cupcakes out the window. hee hee haw haw haw!

Don't worry, I left some of them icing-free for Mark.

Here is the recipe for this yummy icing:

1. Beat 2 oz (1/2 stick)unsalted butter on medium high until creamy.
2. Add 4.5 oz. cream cheese and 1/2 cup peanut butter
3. Beat until creamy.
4. Add 1 cup sifted confectioners' sugar(all at once)and beat on low until smooth.
5. Beat at medium speed until light and fluffy.

**I added another 1/2 cup of PB and a little more powdered sugar...to cut some of the cream cheese taste. SO GOOD but my additions made way more icing than I needed. I've been eating the leftover refrigerated icing with a spoon. Tastes like peanut butter fudge.

I was going to take some of these cupcakes to work with me yesterday. Our town ended up getting some very heavy rain and flooding on Thursday so school was canceled Friday. Next week is Spring Break, so I can't take them next week either. Alas, I will have to find the inner strength and will to eat these myself. Oh, the torture.

To go with the cupcakes, I was planning to prepare some of the THE most delicious punch ever! I don't have a photo 'cause the frozen concoction to which you add 7-Up is in the freezer at school...the punch is red and slushy...just make yourself a mental picture. And yes, it does have 2 1/2 cups of sugar in it! I say a little sugar rush never hurt anyone!

Luscious Slushy Punch

• 2 1/2 cups white sugar
• 6 cups water
• 2 (3 ounce) packages strawberry flavored gelatin mix
• 1 (46 fluid ounce) can pineapple juice
• 2/3 cup lemon juice
• 1 quart orange juice
• 2 (2 liter) bottles Sprite/7-Up
  

1. In a large saucepan, combine sugar, water, and strawberry flavored gelatin. Boil for 3 minutes. Stir in pineapple juice, lemon juice, and orange juice. Divide mixture in half, and freeze in 2 separate containers.
2. When ready to serve, place the frozen contents of one container in a punch bowl, and stir in 1 bottle of lemon-lime soda until slushy.

**I let it thaw for a little while before adding the 7-Up so that it starts out a little slushy instead of a big frozen chunk floating in a pool of 7-Up

Would love to hear if anyone tries either of these!

Chicken & Dumplings on a Particularly Domestic Weekend

As a domestic wannabe, I was pretty proud of myself this weekend. OK, so I spent way too many hours online at the Ultimate Blog Party, I did manage to get in some domesticity, however!

I got up early Friday morning and put on some non-frumpy clothes despite the fact that it was a snow day. I even put on shoes and jewelry! Once I was dressed and in Beige Face mode, I donned one of my favorite vintage aprons and got to work. I'm still trying to fight that Turning 40 Soon funk that I've been in, hence the make-up and jewelry on a day off.

Once I was in full domestic mode I picked up around the house and did some light cleaning. I worked on cutting out a pattern for the March Tie One On Challenge. I made Vegan Sloppy Joes for Mark and Chicken & Dumplings for myself! Something I had never tried before and never thought I would be able to do successfully. OH, but I surprised myself 'cause they were yummy!

Saturday...fully dressed, a little more light cleaning, a little more sewing, and more cooking, My meal of choice was pancakes this time! Mmmmm. Nothing better than warm pancakes on a snowy morning. Now I'm going to tell you something embarrassing, but true. Normally I make frozen waffles. This was the first time I've made pancakes. Ever. And they were a mix. And all I had to do was add water. Water. How sad is that? I mean, really.

Now for the Chicken & Dumplings. I know most of ya'll have never eaten my Mamaw's Chicken N' Dumplings, but let me tell you that they are the best on the face of this Earth. Yeah, I know you think your Mamaw's Chicken & Dumplings are better. They're not. These turned out amazingly close to hers!
Easy Chicken and Dumplings

• 4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 (10.75 ounce) cans condensed cream of chicken soup
• 1 onion, finely diced
• 2 (10 ounce) packages refrigerated biscuit dough, torn into pieces

1. Place the chicken, butter, soup, and onion in a slow cooker, and fill with enough water to cover.
2. Cover, and cook for 5 to 6 hours on High. About 45min.-1 hour before serving, place the torn biscuit dough in the slow cooker. Cook until the dough is no longer raw in the center.

Now, remember this is me, so as luck would have it I was missing ingredients and forgot to add stuff to the recipe. For instance:

• Onion....I simply forgot.
  
• I didn't realize it even called for butter until now.
• I used one can cream of chicken soup(all I had).
• I used chicken broth to replace the second can of soup and instead of the water.
  
• Next time I'll add the water because it had a slight "cream of chicken soup" flavor. Don't get me wrong...it was still delectable!

I'm sure lots of things could be played with in this recipe. For instance, swap out a can of cream of chicken for cream of something else...celery, onion, pigeon, whatever. Add your favorite seasonings. I added salt, pepper and poultry seasonings. You could probably add some veggies in there too. However I've always only had chicken and dumplings in my chicken and dumplings, so I'd NEVER add yucky old vegetables to it.

If you try this, I'd love to hear how it turned out. Unless you actually do use Condensed Cream of Pigeon soup. Keep that to yourself, please.

Taste of Home Cooking School Spring Show

Last night I went with my girlfriends Trish, Sheila & Stacy (along w/ Trish's MIL and dear, sweet Mama) to the Taste of Home Cooking School. I thoroughly enjoyed it...if they're coming to your town, you should check it out!

A chef from Taste of Home prepared a variety of dishes, making them all look incredibly easy and appetizing. In addition to the dishes, she shared cooking tips, stories and a few lame jokes. Lots of prizes were given away throughout the night as well. No, I didn't win anything. Dang it! I wanted, no, needed that cake plate filled with cupcakes!

One of the recipes that was featured is this Taco Meatball Ring. I plan to try it out...doesn't it look tasty? The show draws a huge crowd(I had no idea) and the Fine Arts Center was jam packed. We didn't buy our tickets until we got there so we ended up being Balcony Trash, separated from the rest of the theater. I think that made it more enjoyable...it was fun sitting up and away from the crowd. We were front row, center so we had a nice view of the stage, were able to prop up our feet, giggle, make yum-yum noises and comment(quietly of course) our way through the evening without bothering the people around us. Good Times! And yes, we got a little silly...which is the norm for us, thank goodness. How dull would it be to have friends who weren't at least half as goofy as you are?